Hanuma Vihari to play for Warwickshire in the upcoming County season

Hanuma Vihari went unsold in the IPL auction for the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The right-hander last featured in the T20 Extravaganza in 2019 for the franchise Delhi Capitals (DC). With all his teammates playing the Indian league, Vihari has decided to utilize his time well and thus the batsman is all set to participate in the 2021 edition of the English county cricket.

While there has been no official announcement regarding the whole matter, a senior official of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that the Test specialist has been signed by Warwickshire. Hanuma has already departed for England and is preparing himself for the upcoming county season.

“Vihari will be playing in the English county side for Warwickshire this season. He would play a few games. He is in England now,” said a senior BCCI official as quoted by the Indian Express.

He further stated that the official announcement will be made after the contract is ready as the two parties are still on talking terms regarding the conditions. The 27-year-old is confirmed to feature in a minimum of 3 matches but the BCCI is trying to figure out a way through which he can play more.

“The contract is being chalked out. He will play a minimum of three games. We are trying to figure out if there is a chance to play a few more,” the BCCI official mentioned.

BCCI wants Hanuma Vihari to play more competitive cricket in the coming months

The Indian board has always encouraged the players to participate in county cricket and the same is the case with Hanuma Vihari. The board wants Vihari to play more and more games so that he can remain fit physically for the upcoming World Test Championship and the Test series against England.

“With a curtailed domestic season this time and Vihari being a part of the Test side, he needs match practice. All his other Test colleagues are part of the IPL teams including Cheteshwar (Pujara). Even if it’s white-ball games, they will be fit and match-ready.

“However, we need to ensure that Vihari also gets game time before the England tour. It’s not just one World Test Championship final but it’s followed by a full-fledged five-Test series. We need him ready,” the official added.